We don’t yet know the origin story for SARS-CoV-2

By Katherine E Arden, PhD & Ian M Mackay, PhD The existence of a coronavirus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was first hinted at by a researcher Read More ...

Rhinovirus rampant or testing triumphant?

Turns out, this physical distancing thing actually works as advertised. Who would have thought that keeping the things viruses need for their survival – hosts full of cells – far Read More ...

And another thing…on false positives

Sometimes the full story can’t fit into a media article. A lot of words can be said during an interview with a journalist but sometimes it’s just really hard to Read More ...

And another thing…on false positives

Posted onJune 29, 2020June 29, 2020Leave a comment

Sometimes the full story can’t fit into a media article. A lot of words can be said during an interview with a journalist but sometimes it’s just really hard to Read More …

Rhinovirus rampant or testing triumphant?

Posted onJune 27, 2020June 27, 20202 Comments

Turns out, this physical distancing thing actually works as advertised. Who would have thought that keeping the things viruses need for their survival – hosts full of cells – far Read More …

We don’t yet know the origin story for SARS-CoV-2

Posted onMay 4, 2020May 4, 202020 Comments

By Katherine E Arden, PhD & Ian M Mackay, PhD The existence of a coronavirus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was first hinted at by a researcher Read More …

Kits, reagents and viruses

Posted onApril 12, 2020May 14, 202012 Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven use of the words “kit” and “reagent”. I completely feel for you if you still have no real idea of what is meant by the Read More …

COVID-19 cases slow a little in Australia

Posted onMarch 27, 2020March 28, 202014 Comments

Our borders have been shut to non-citizens for about a week and despite being regularly admonished for being terrible at obeying confusing, constantly changing or poorly communicated new rules, the Read More …

COVID-19 is not a virus, but SARS-CoV-2 is

Posted onMarch 21, 2020March 23, 202039 Comments

For about two weeks we lived with, published using, and talked about, a disease-causing virus called the “novel coronavirus”. That name was always going to create problems like, what do Read More …

Politically infectious period

Posted onMarch 20, 2020March 20, 20205 Comments

A senior Australian politician arrived in Australia from the United States (US) carrying a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many infected travellers are arriving from the US at the moment. He self-reports becoming Read More …

Why does soap work so well on SARS-CoV-2?

Posted onMarch 9, 2020March 9, 202041 Comments

This is a guest post from Prof Palli Thordarson of the Uni of New South Wales. It was previously posted in a Twitter thread and on Facebook and has been Read More …

COVID-19 in Australia

Posted onMarch 9, 2020March 9, 202010 Comments

As the cases begin to build up – but are still pretty low with limited community spread having been detected – now is a good time to start watching where Read More …

Face off

Posted onMarch 8, 2020March 29, 202015 Comments

We touch our faces often. Maybe 3 to 23 times an hour often! But if our hands haven’t just been washed and we’ve touched surfaces contaminated by viruses surviving in Read More …

Virology Down Under

Facts, data, info, expert opinion and a reasonable, occasionally grumpy, voice on viruses: what they are, how they tick and the illnesses they may cause.

Latest posts...

We don’t yet know the origin story for SARS-CoV-2

Rhinovirus rampant or testing triumphant?

And another thing…on false positives

And another thing…on false positives

Rhinovirus rampant or testing triumphant?

We don’t yet know the origin story for SARS-CoV-2

Kits, reagents and viruses

COVID-19 cases slow a little in Australia

COVID-19 is not a virus, but SARS-CoV-2 is

Politically infectious period

Why does soap work so well on SARS-CoV-2?

COVID-19 in Australia

Face off